Revelation. An Introduction ~ Part 2 ~ Interpretation & Prophecy

Transcription

1 Revelation An Introduction ~ Part 2 ~ Interpretation & Prophecy I Methods of Interpretation C. Millennialism 1. Amillennialism 2. Postmillennialism 3. Premillennialism D. Prophecy 1. Prophecies Regarding Christ 2. Characteristics of Old Testament Prophecy Introduction: Last week in Part A, we considered the three basic areas we will be examining as we study the book of Revelation. These we have identified as: 1. An Understanding of the Book. 2. An Understanding of its Subject. 3. An Understanding of its Application Just remember that we ll be flying BSA Book Subject Application We will be looking at these as follows. We consider the book in general including prophetic issues. Second, we will strive to understand it in terms of what it tells us about Christ. Finally, we want to see how we should apply these truths to our lives. In Part B we looked at methods of interpretation. We came see that for purposes of understanding God s Word adequately, we will interpret the book to mean what it says. This method is the literal-grammatical, historical approach. There are two more areas I want to look at before we get into the study proper. These relate to Part C, Millennialism and Part D, Methods of Prophetic Revelation. First then, let us take a look at Millennialism. C. Millennialism: As noted last week, how one approaches prophecy is a direct result of one s style of interpretation. This is especially true one considering the different views related to Scriptures teaching on the Millennium. Let us take a few moments to identify these different positions and their sources. Let us define the three primary views of Millennialism. They are Premillennialism, Post millennialism and Amillennialism. While I will let you know what I think is the position that is most consistent with appropriate interpretation, I will not take the time to defend the approach this morning. We will go into it in more detail when we come to it in the study. ) 7 (

2 How one understands the Millennium is a direct consequence on how one interpreters Scripture. The Millennium relates to the rule of Christ over this world. How one understands this rule is a product of the choice of interpretation scheme. 1. Amillennialism: Definition: The view takes the position that there will not be a literal rule of Christ on earth. Instead it holds that the millennium runs from the death of Christ until His second coming. In other words this is the millennium. The church is perceived to have inherited all the promises and prophecies of Old Testament Israel. The promises made to Israel are not to be taken literally for Israel, but are actually spiritual and now belong to the church. We are Spiritual Israel. It is interesting to note that generally those that hold this view focus on God s promises and being ours, while ignoring the curses that God also promised. I guess we get the good stuff, while Israel gets the bad. Foundation: This view is derived by using either the Spiritual or Preterist Scheme of interpretation. This means that the Scripture doesn t mean what it says, but something else. Consequently there are many variations of the Amillennial position depending the the specific interpretative view. In some cases we find this view to be held by those whose interest and study of prophecy is minimal. Yet Amillennialism probably can probably be considered the most popular view. 2. Postmillennialism: Definition: Foundation: This is a fairly recent view of prophecy. This position holds that the Millennial Kingdom is in place prior to Christ s return. The Millennium is seen as the final triumph of the gospel in the present age. While this view does teach a literal thousand year period, it is brought about by the Church, not the Lord. This view necessitates a Spiritual approach to interpreting Scripture therefore leading to various forms of confusion dealing with prophetic passages. I find it interesting that anyone can look at humanity, and the church in the world and possibly come to any conclusion that we are going to bring on the Millennium. In fact Scripture makes it quite clear that the church becomes more apostate as we approach the return of Christ. Reality is in direct opposition to the view of this theory. Also remember that the intent of the Gospel is the salvation of individual, not to restructure the world. Christ gave the Kingdom Gospel to Israel, not the church. 3. Premillennialism: Definition: This position presents a literal thousand year rule of Christ. This will occur after the Second Coming. Christ will return, and establish His kingdom from Israel. His throne will be in Jerusalem. ) 8 (

3 Foundation: The Premillennial position is grounded in the literal-historical method of interpretation. If the word is read in its normal sense there is no other understanding of the Millennium which can be derived. Clearly, an accurate reading of Scripture requires the holding of this view of prophecy. This does leave a lot of room for disagreement in the specific issues though. And, keep in mind that all four of the Tribulational positions, Pre, Mid, Pre-Wrath, and Post can be taught and still be Premillennial. One can be correct in all things related to interpretation and the millennium and disagree on rapture positions. (I will go into the question of the rapture in some detail when we come to the appropriate section of the study.) Let me again repeat: We are not called to be dogmatic in our handling of prophecy! We can and should be dogmatic regarding our approach to handling God s Word. Keep in mind with all of these positions beyond the basic questions of interpretation, there are numerous specifics related to how the handling of individual passages may be worked out. As was discussed last week, individuals may choose one system or another for specific passages in order to make them say what the interpreter desires. D. Prophecy: In order to adequately examine New Testament prophecy it will be helpful to take the time to look at the subject of Old Testament prophecy. Consequently, I want to take a few moments to talk about prophets and prophecy. While the book of Revelation is concerned primarily with Christ, it reveals Him in a prophetic context. The biblical criteria for being a prophet was, and is 100 % accuracy. Prophets who give messages contrary to the principles of God are to be rejected. And in Biblical times were to be stoned (see Deuteronomy 13). The basis for validating the ministry of a prophet was short term prophecies. A prophet of God was usually given messages from God which came true within a short period of time, or at least the life-time of the prophet. The reliability of the short-term message became the foundation for acceptance of the long-term. Today being a prophet usually means profit. Consider Jean Dixon and her talking snake. But, consider the criteria of the Old Testament. If Dixon, and the many others that record their wisdom in the National Expirer, were held to biblical standards, they would have been stoned to death by now. And, there wouldn t be anyone left on the psychic hot line. 1. Prophecies Regarding Christ: In Scripture we know that those prophecies that are still unfulfilled will come to pass because others already have. We know that unfulfilled prophecies will be fulfilled literally because many already have been. Let me give you some examples of fulfilled prophecies regarding Christ: 1. He was to be deserted by his followers. OT: Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me! declares the LORD Almighty. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones (Zechariah 13:7). ) 9 (

4 NT: Then Jesus told them, This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. (Matthew 26:31). 2. He was to be scourged and spat upon. OT: NT: I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting (Isaiah 50:6). Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him (Matthew 26:67). 3. He was to be given vinegar to drink. OT: They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst (Psalm 69:21). NT: There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink (Matthew 27:34, 48). 4. His hands and feet were to be pierced. OT: NT: Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet (Psalm 22:16). When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left (Luke 23:33). These are of course but a few of the Old Testament passages that were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ. Is there any reason to think that the remaining will not also be fulfilled literally? 2. Characteristics of Old Testament Prophecy: 1. The future is made to appear immediately present, complete or all events are in progress. 2. Prophecy may appear as one event, but maybe involved with 2, 3 or a 4 fold fulfillment. i.e. Aspects of Isaiah 53 were fulfilled at the first coming of Christ, while some still remain to be fulfilled. 3. Single predictions may appear to contradict each other. This is what I was referring to last week when I noted that prior to the time of Christ, it wouldn t have been surprising to have anticipated two Messiahs. Also keep in mind where we cannot reconcile items the problem isn t with Scripture, it is with our comprehension. Keep in mind, there are some times minor problems with differ- ) 10 (

5 ent manuscripts used for or translations, but these questioned verses have no effect on any significant teaching of Scripture. This is why no major doctrine is ever founded on one verse or passage, but must be supported by Scripture as a whole. If we have unanswered questions, then as the Jew says: Wait until Elijah comes. 4. The prophets did speak of future glory in terms of their own society and experiences. It is therefore necessary to have an understanding of the contemporaneous cultures when studying prophecy. This is less an issue, in my opinion, when dealing with Revelation as we will see in the introduction to the text. 5. Prophecies could be fulfilled immediately at the time given, or a great time later. There may be even typical fulfillments followed by the specific fulfillment at a later date. Some see the glorification of Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration as a typical fulfillment of His glorification at the Father s right hand. Another example is the destruction of the Temple by Titus son of Vespasian in 70 C.E. This is perceived by some as typical of the desecration of the Temple by Antichrist. But that desecration is yet to come. 6. Similar to this is what is sometimes referred to as the Law of Double reference. This describes events widely separated as to the time of fulfillment, but brought together as one prophecy in Scripture. Horne writes: The same prophecies frequently have a double meaning, and refer to different events, the one near, the other remote; the one temporal, the other spiritual or perhaps eternal. The prophets thus having several events in view, their expressions may be partly applicable to one, and partly to another, and it is not always easy to make the transitions. What has not been fulfilled in the first, we must apply to the second; and what has already been fulfilled, may often be considered as typical of what remains to be accomplished. 1 We can see this in a number of the prophecies related to Christ, where his first and second coming are referred to in the very same sentence. On individual described this as mountain peak verses. Each part of the prophecy is a peak of a mountain, but from the distance there is no way of knowing that there is a huge valley between the peaks. That valley is now some two thousand years long. 7. The fulfillment of some prophecies was subject to the actions of those receiving it. i.e. The destruction of Neviah, which was prophesied was nevertheless depended on the actions of the recipients. Since those hearing it repented, the city was spared. 8. Some prophecies may be fulfilled successively. This is what we are going to see here in Revelation.. A number of the prophecies that are fulfilled are done so in specific patterns and order. 1 Pentecost, J. Dwight, Things To Come, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI., 1974, p ) 11 (

6 9. Prophecies have been fulfilled literally and therefore the same should be expected of the unfulfilled ones. In conclusion, because many of the prophecies of the Old Testament have already been fulfilled literally, we can look forward with out doubt to those still remaining to also be fulfilled literally. As we noted last time this is where people, who don t really believe that prophecy can come to pass, play fast and loose with methods of interpretation in order to avoid the dangers of having to accept that God actually does intervene in the affairs of the human race. Next week I want to look at methods of prophetic revelation and I want to take a few moments to contrast Genesis, the book of beginnings with Revelation, the book of conclusions. Finally we will introduce the book proper and give you outlines of both the book and Chapter 1. Continue to read the book. ) 12 (